Grand jury delivers no indictment versus Dr. Thomas Freytag

An Auglaize County grand jury recently decided against indicting against a local physician who serves as county coroner, according to a news release from the state Attorney General’s Office.

State Attorney General’s Office Press Secretary Eve Mueller issued a news release Friday that an Auglaize County grand jury deliberated for two days before unanimously voting for a no bill, or to not return an indictment, against Wapakoneta long-time physician and Auglaize County Coroner Dr. Thomas Freytag.

An attempt to contact Freytag by telephone Friday was unsuccessful.

Mueller released only a two-paragraph statement and would not release any details regarding the case including the name of his defense attorney.

Auglaize County Prosecuting Attorney Ed Pierce requested officials with the state Attorney General’s Office appoint a special prosecutor to the case in order for Pierce to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Senior adviser William Schenk was appointed to the case.

Schenk was not in his office Friday and all inquiries were transferred to Mueller.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed and an investigation conducted this spring.

On Aug. 10, Wapakoneta Police Chief Russ Hunlock told the Wapakoneta Daily News that a Wapakoneta woman made a complaint to police officers about Freytag at the end of May or early June.

“We received a complaint in regards to him and I felt due to him being the coroner and working with us I needed to call in BCI&I (Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation) to investigate,” Hunlock said for a news story on Aug. 10. “We turned it over to BCI&I immediately.”

Hunlock said the complaint “has to do with the medical aspect of Freytag’s job,” but would not comment further on the complaint telling the Wapakoneta Daily News that he didn’t want to ruin the integrity of the case.

Freytag, who resides in Wapakoneta, served as a physician at Lincoln Family Practice for more than 30 years and has served as the Auglaize County coroner for nearly 25 years. Earlier this year he gave up his long-time family practice to fill a full-time position as occupational medical director within the Lima Memorial Health System.

In July, he was appointed to serve as a member on the Auglaize County Health Board.

Freytag, who has been honored by the state and a national organization for his work, also serves as a sports team physician for Wapakoneta High School.

Along with his wife, Gwynne, Freytag also has been actively involved in causes for the developmentally disabled.